With the emergence of smartphones, tablets, and hybrid devices (e.g., mini tablets) and with the integration of touch interface technology onto computers, users are capable of providing inputs to those computing device through an additional input element: touchscreens. Touchscreen displays are now an industry standard on cellular telephones, tablets, laptops and even some desktop computers.
A touchscreen allows users to combine various traditional input elements, e.g., a traditional mouse and keyboard, into one by combining the functionality of each element into one device. In order provide this functionality, the touchscreen often displays a virtual keyboard to users when keyed entries are required. The displayed keyboard is generated either automatically by an application or at the user's request. Because of the size of the device on which they are incorporated, displayed virtual keyboards typically include input keys that are a fraction of the size of keys on traditional keyboards. Additionally, since the keys of a virtual keyboard are displayed on a flat display screen, the keys lack the borders and feel of a physical button. The size and lack of three-dimensional depth can make it difficult for a user to differentiate between keys and, subsequently, key presses.
With portions of the virtual keyboard being touched unintentionally on a regular basis, typing on a virtual keyboard regularly results in typographic errors. On devices having larger touchscreens, errors can be more easily avoided due to key size and key spacing on the relatively larger virtual keyboard. However, as devices decrease in size it becomes increasingly difficult for users to properly input text on the correspondingly smaller keyboards. To combat this problem, solutions have been developed which predict possible words that a user may be typing; however, this can only be accomplished if the user's key press is intended, e.g., the user purposely touches a key or series of keys.
Therefore, the need exists for a system that overcomes the above problems, as well as one that provides additional benefits. Overall, the examples herein of some prior or related systems and their associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following Detailed Description.